Amid Crisis Is The Best Time To Take A ‘Tactical Pause’

*This article was originally published by Chief Executive* 

This is part 1 of a 2-part series: “The Power of a Tactical Pause During Crisis”. Read Part 2, "Going Slow to Go Fast - How to Conduct A Tactical Pause."

The military has a process to help train soldiers to make difficult decisions — decisions that can have a big impact on the overall mission of the organization — in conditions they call the “fog of war,” with limited information and geographically dispersed teams, far from headquarters. One principle is called the Tactical Pause. It is contrarian to think that, during a crisis when time is of the essence, it is best to take a deliberate pause. But that is exactly what the military trains leaders to do.

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Frank Kearney is no stranger to VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) environments, making difficult decisions and taking tactical pauses when conditions are the harshest — both on the battlefield and in the corporate environment. He served more than 35 years on active duty and in multiple combat and crisis operations as a junior officer through flag rank. He retired as Deputy Director U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is the interim CEO of Draper Laboratories and an advisor and senior faculty member of Thayer Leadership.

Read more at: https://chiefexecutive.net/amid-crisis-the-time-is-right-to-take-a-tactical-pause/

Kearney, (then Lieutenant Colonel) as Commander 3-75 Ranger, Exercise Leatherneck Ranger